Recoil apparatus for guns.



No. 718,749. PATBNTED JAN. 20, 1903.

A'. T. DAWSON & G. T. BUGKHAM.

REGOILAPPARATUS POR GUNS.

APPLIGATION FILED DEO. 9, 1901.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

HOMODEL.

1|||||.||.II||,II. l l I l l l I I l l l l l I l l I l l I l l l I l l l I I I A l l l No. 718,749. v TATBNTED JAN. 20,1903.

' A. T. DAWSON -A; G. T. BUGKHAM.

.NEGOIL APPARATUS PoR GUNS. APPLIGATION'FILEDIDBU. 9, 1901. H0 MODEL.

L. l E?,

Nrrn STATES TENT @pMCE.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON AND GEORGE THOMAS'BUCKHAM, OF LONDON,

ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO VIOKERS SONS dz; MAXIM, LIMITED, OF LONDON,`

ENGLAND RECOBL APPARATUS FOR GUNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,749, dated January 20, 1903.

Application iiled December 9, 1901. Serial No. 85,296. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, t 17m/y concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON, late lieutenant of Royal Navy, and GEORGE THOMAS BUOKHAM, engineer, both residing at 32 Victoria street, Westminster, in the county of London, England, subjects of the King of Great Britain, have invented' certain new and usefnl'lmprovements in Recoil Apparatus for Guns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to quick-firing and other gun mountings that are provided with a hydraulic buer for absorbing the energy of recoil and a reouperator for running the gun forward to firing position after recoil.

The chief object of our invention is to provide means for controlling the velocity with which the gun runs forward after recoil, said invention being applicable to that form of recoil-buffer in which the cylinder has a hollow piston-rod and a retarding-ram extending inwardly from one end of the cylinder into the said hollow piston-rod. The piston is partly withdrawn from the ram during the recoil,

therebyleaving inthe piston-rod aspace whichbecomes filled with liquid that must be displaced by the ram while the gun is being run forward after recoil, provision being made for the displaced liquid to be forced through a restricted passage, thus controlling the velocity with which the gun is returned to its {iring position. We provide improved means for controlling the iiow of the said liquid to and from the said hollow piston-rod, as will be hereinafter described, the chief feature of our invention being the formation of the hollow piston-rod and the ram so that the liquid in the hollow piston-rod can only escape back to the recoil-cylinder through an opening or passage which gradually diminishes in area during the forward movement of the piston as the gun regains its firing position.

We will now describe our invention with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a hydraulic buffer or recoil-cylinder provided with our improvements. Figs. 2 and 3 are transverse'sections thereof, taken, respectively, on the lines l l and 2 2. Fig. 4. is a longitudinal section of a recoil-cylinder provided with a modified form of our improvements. Figs. 5 and 6 are transverse sections thereof, taken, respectively, on the lines 3 3 and 4 4.

Referring to the drawings,the reference-letter A is the recoil-cylinder; B, the hollow piston-rod; B, its piston; C, the ram which projects from one end of the cylinder and enters the hollow piston-rod.

A is the key within the cylinder A, and B2 the aperture in said piston that acts in conjunction with said key for increasing the resistance to the recoil as said piston travels in the cylinder during the recoil movement of the gun.

C' is the lug or bracket on the gun, to which the piston-rod is secured.

In Figs. l, 2, and 3, b b are inclined passages formed through the hollow piston-rod B and serving to connect the annular space existing between the ram C and the hollow piston-rod with the space d in the cylinder A behind the piston. b/ is a bush screwed or otherwise affixed in a cavity formed in the front face of said piston. This bush accurately fits the ram C, with the exception of a small longitudinal passage b2, formed therein and through which liquid can pass from the annular space around the said ram to the space in front of the piston in the cylinder A. Immediately behind the said bush we provide a sleevevalve b3, which is capable of sliding in the piston B. By means of a spring b4 this valve is normally kept in a position with its forward end tightly pressed against the end bx of the aforesaid bush b', which serves as a valve-seat for it. Thesaid ram has one or moretaper grooves or flats c, Fig. 3, whose greatest depth or width is at the rear end of said ram, said grooves or flats gradually diminishing until they disappear at or about a point c', where they merge into the cylindrical surface of theram. This point c is situated about midway ofthe length of the recoil movement. With this apparatus when the recoil takes place the pressure in the space d of the cylinder A due to the movement of the piston in the direction of the arrow in Fig. l forces the liquid from said space @through the passages b and against the forward end of the sleeve-valve b3, thereby causing the latter to slide away from its seat bx against the resistance of the spring b4 and leaving a clear passage for the liquid to flow into the interior of the hollow piston-rod. On completion of the recoil movement the spring b4 reacts and pushes the sleeve-valve b3 forward against its seat 19X, thereby shutting off the return or escape of the liquid from the hollow piston-rod through the passages b when the gun is run forward to its firing position. During the running forward of the gun and the return movement of the piston and piston-rod the liquid within the hollow piston rod and around the ram exerts pressure on the rear end of the sleeve-valve and, in. conjunction with said spring b, keeps it pressedhard up against its seat bx. Therefore the only escape for the liquid from the interior of the piston-rod is by way of the taper groove or grooves formed by the at or flats c on the ram and by way of the small uniform groove or passage b2 in the bushing h', these taper grooves or liats c and the passages b2 being so arranged that the widest or deepest part of the taper grooves or iiats lies opposite the uniform grooves or passages when the piston-rod is in its recoiled position. As the said iiat or iats c on the ram extend only about half of the length of recoil movement, as aforesaid, the escape of the liquid is during the return of the gun gradually diminished until toward the completion of the forward movement of the gun the only escape for the liquid is through the small uniform passage b2 in the bush b. Consequently the gun is brought very quietly7 to rest in its firing position.

In the modified arrangement illustrated by Figs. 4f, 5, and 6 we have dispensed with the aforesaid sleeve-Valve and have provided a non-return valve b5 at the inner or rear end c2 of the ram C. This end cA2 is furnished with a cap c3, whose outer diameter fits the interior of the hollow piston-rod B and is formed with a uniform groove or passage c4. The end c2 of the ram is also formed with a central hole c5, which extends forwardly and diverges at c6 to the circumference at a point in advance of the forward end of said cap c3. At the mouth of the said hole c5, within a space c7, provided for its reception in the cap c3, is located the non-return valve b5. The end of the said cap c3 is perforated at 08 0S to permit of liquid reaching the said space c7 from the interior of the hollow piston-rod. Along the interior surface of the hollow piston-rod are formed one or more longitudinal taper grooves DG, said grooves opening at their ends of greatestareainto the passage or passagesb,through which communication is established between the space a of the recoil-cylinder and the interior of the hollow piston-rod. The said taper grooves extend rearwardly and gradually diminish in area until they merge into the cylindrical inner surface of the piston-rod at about the point b7. During recoil the pressure in the space a of the cylinder A forces the liquid through the passages h in the piston-rod B into the annular space around the ram C, thence through the holes c6 c5 in said ram, past lthe valve b5, and through the perforations c8 in the cap c3, whereby said liquid reaches the space within the hollow pistonrod and keeps it filled with liquid as the said rod is withdrawn from the ram C. On the completion of the recoil and in the return movement of the gun the aforesaid Valve h5 under the pressure of the liquid within the hollow piston closes the passage c5. Consequently the only way of escape left for the liquid from said hollow piston-rod is by the small uniform groove cLL in the cap c3 and the taper grooves b in the piston-rod leading to the passages l). As these grooves h6 gradually diminish in area, it follows, as in the previous example, that during the return movement of the piston and its rod the gun will be very gradually brought to rest as it terminates its forward movement.

What we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. In recoil apparatus for guns, the combination with the hollow piston-rod and the ram, of a valve adapted to open during the recoil movement of the piston to admit the pressure liquid from the recoil-cylinder into the hollow piston-rod and adapted to close on the commencement of the return or forward movement of the said piston, and of means whereby the liquid in the hollow piston-rod can only escape back to the recoil-cylinder through an opening or passage which gradually diminishes in area during the said forward movement of the piston, for the purpose specified.

2. ln recoil apparatus for guns, the combination with the ram-and the hollow piston-rod having passages therein capable of communicating with the interior and exterior of said hollow piston-rod, of means for opening said passages during the recoil movement of the gun and for closing them during the return movement of the gun, and of a taper passage between said ram and piston-rod for controlling the said return movement of the gun, substantially as described.

3. In recoil apparatus for guns, the combination with the ram and the hollow piston-rod having passages therein capable of communicating with the interior and exterior of said hollow piston-rod, of a valve for opening said passages during the recoil movement of the gun and for closing them during the return movement of the gun, and of a taper passage between said ram and piston-rod, for controlling the return movement of the gun, substantially as described.

4. In recoil apparatus for guns, the combination with the ram and the hollow piston-rod having passages therein capable of communicating with the interior and exterior of the said hollow piston-rod, of a spring-controlled IOO IIO

valveeou the piston, of a bushing Within the ourha'ns, in presence of twosubscribing witpiston serving as a, seat for said Valve adje-I nesses, this 29th day of November, 1901.

cent to the said passages in the piston-rod, ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON of flattened taperlonUtudinalportonsonsaid 1 ram and of unifom longitudinally-mowed GEORGE THOMAS BUOKHAM Witnesses:

portions on said piston-rod, substantially as and for the purpose specified. WALTER HoDGEs REYNER,

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set HENRY KING. 

